The project could help the state reach its renewable energy goals, sourcing power to approximately 300,000 homes — but at what cost? Windmills have long been a source of controversy for Hawaii residents. Now, they could be in our oceans. Aukahi Energy, a partnership between Progression Energy and EDF Renewables North America, is seeking approval to build floating offshore windmills north of the Kaiwi Channel, near Makapuu Point.
If approved, the project will produce enough clean electricity to power around 300,000 homes, according to the company. If all goes according to plan, the windmills would be up and running by 2035, according to vice president Noelani Kalipi. In the meantime, she said that the company will be running a wide range of studies, examining everything from the project’s impact on marine mammals and fishing to its cultural implications.
“We’re not asking anybody to support us in this project,” she said at a Waimanalo neighborhood board meeting earlier this month. “It’s too early for a yes or no on offshore wind. What we are looking for is for people to work with us to identify all of the concerns, all of the questions, so that we can really study that.
” Some community members already are expressing concern about the project’s potential effects on wildlife, cultural practices and the environment, highlighting the complexity of offshore wind farms and the long road to a sustainable Hawaii. Aukahi Energy’s objective is to help Hawaii reach it.
